Luke 20-B “Broken, not Crushed”

S = 20:16-18 “When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!" But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

"'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

 

O = After hearing Jesus’ parable the people have a strong negative reaction to something he has said…but what is it? Perhaps there is more than one group listening and the reason for the answer may depend on which group you ask. The disciples might say, “Surely not!” to the idea that the vineyard owner’s honor should be so violated and that his son should be killed. Peter had reacted this way once before (Matthew 16:22; Mark 8:32) and would once again (22:33). However, the priests and others of the people probably were reacting to the idea of the vineyard being given to “others.” They knew the vineyard was Israel. The vine was the national symbol of Israel, like the eagle was the symbol of Rome (and America). In fact there was a huge golden vine on the front of the temple. They were in essence answering, “How could this land be given to others? Are you saying we are like those idolatrous people of old? No way!”

 

Jesus’ quote from the prophetic prayer of Psalm 118:22 takes this parable and superimposes it over the triumphal entry and the coming passion of Christ in a way that identifies himself as the stone rejected. Then alluding to the stone in Daniel chapter 2 (God’s kingdom) he gives them a choice of the brokenness of repentance and humble reception of God’s kingdom authority or of the complete destruction of prideful rebellion. Most Americans have heard the old 007 line, “shaken not stirred” referring to the spy’s drink preference, but in the context of this passage my preference is “broken not crushed!” Repentance always involves a brokenness, but humbling myself is always a better option than being humbled by God’s just judgments.

 

A = Jesus has made his plan clear and it is better than anything that I could come up with so I will do my best to understand and embrace it. His “giving of the vineyard to others” was to my advantage since I am one of the others he spoke of. However, I must take Paul’s teaching in Romans to heart and not grow prideful in my inclusion, my vineyard lease, for granted. I am only included by grace! How might I be quick to pay my rent of gratitude and faithfulness this week? He has done everything for me…so in love how should I respond this week?

 

P = O Lord, may I not reject you message or your plan today , this week, and for the future saying “Surely not!” but rather may I join with you in your patient call to the world, “Come!” (Rev. 22:7). May I be quick to put my “Amen!” to what your Word says and to what you are doing today.   . Amen.

Luke 20-A “Surely not!”

S = 20:13-16 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!””

O = This parable is a close parallel to Isaiah 5:1-6 and would have been a parable that Jesus’ listener would have been very familiar with. They would have understood right from the beginning that the vineyard was a symbol that represented Israel and that the ending of the story in Jesus’ telling boded badly for them. The key is not the wicked tenants as most editorial comments title this section but on the character and claim of the Noble Vineyard owner. Especially in light of Isaiah 5 where God asks the people to judge between him and his vineyard and asks the question, “What more could I have done?” Well in light of the NT our answer to the question in Isaiah 5 would be that God could have sent his son. We see here in Jesus’ expansion of the Song of the vineyard he has the noble owner of the vineyard not only sending servants (can we see the OT prophets?) repeatedly demonstrating great patience with his renters, but he sends his Son. But after his rejection and death, the renters will be destroyed and the vineyard given to others. The reaction from those listening was emphatically opposed to such an ending. Were they denying that they would kill the Son, or rejecting the idea that Israel could pass to others? Sadly, like Peter’s denial of Jesus’ mission to go to the cross, those that denied this message’s fulfillment would see it come to pass not 40 years later.

A = How do I respond to God’s claim on my life for good fruit? He has done so much for me, bringing me out of the Egypt of my former sinful life and has planted me in the land where I can rejoice and benefit from being in the presence of God. How can I produce violent greedy wild (sour/bitter) grapes? How do I respond to God’s patient, tender, and just promptings to yield my life to his Lordship, his authority? What do I do when I am convicted in my conscience? Do I lash out in anger and even violent defensiveness, or do I feel it and rush to self-medicate instead of repenting? This week I am choosing to confess when convicted and to yield up what is due to the owner of the vineyard…for I am merely a renter.

P = O Lord, please don’t stop speaking to my heart. Don’t stop asking me to yield to you. I pray that you would keep my heart soft to respond to your patient love with joy and faithfulness, not separation and selfishness. May I not hold anything back from worshipping you this week with all that is in my hands, and all that in in my soul. Lord, let me not forget that your song of the vineyard is a love song. Your motives in dealing with me and all that concerns me is love. May you receive back that which you are looking for, that which is yours by right of your faithful authority over me, good fruit. Amen.

Luke 19-B "No King in Gondor!"

S = 19:12-14 “He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’”

 

O = In the context of correcting their kingdom suppositions from immediacy to a time of delay Jesus told this parable. Much could be said about the historical allusion to Herod and Archelaus’ trips to Rome, but what strikes me is the attitude of the citizens who rejected the man as king. It reminds me of the scene in Lord of the Rings where Boromir (the son of the Steward of Gondor) rejects the ranger Aragorn (the true heir to the throne) as king, saying, “Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.” But later, having learned better, Boromir lies mortally wounded in a heroic effort to obey Aragon’s command, asks for forgiveness and proclaims Aragorn as “my lord and my king” with his dying breath. It is gripping cinema. But it hits a little too close to home.

 

A = How often have I done the same thing? Too often in willfulness and pride I have as much as said that I don’t want the Lord to rule over me…I would rather do my own thing—but it always ends badly. God has an absolute claim on the kingship in my life and my rejection of the Lordship only causes pain to me and those I love. I would much rather be one of the ten servants that were given a place, an opportunity to play a part in the king’s plan. What he is looking for from me is faithfulness. What is Jesus asking me to do this week? Will I respond obediently: immediately, thoroughly, completely, and cheerfully and hear his commendation, “Well done, good servant”? Or will I be like those “enemies” who refuse to participate in the kingdom? The goal is living a daily surrendered life rather than a daily selfish life.

 

P = O Lord, I repent once again of my self-rule and willful independence. May I by your grace be considered a servant that can be trusted until the return of the king. Thank you that you have included me in your kingdom and judge me not by my success, but in faithfulness. May I not forget that you exist and that you are a rewarder of those that seek you (Heb. 11:6)!

Luke 19-A “Receiving & Responding”

S = 19:8-9 “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

O = Such a familiar story, especially for those who have grown up in the church and can picture a Sunday school teacher putting Zacchaeus up in the old flannel-graph tree. Yet as I read this story afresh I see that it is also filled with a high degree of allusion to events from the Old Testament and even the New Testament. While these events didn’t usually make it to the flannel graph…they add great depth to the story. Simple observation often opens the door to greater understanding and appreciation.

1. Where does this narrative take place? Jericho reminds me of the story of Achan in Joshua 7. He took what had been devoted to God for himself. Here Zacchaeus gives half of what he has to the poor and promises to repay any he has defrauded fourfold.
2. This fourfold restitution reminds me of  David’s reaction to Nathan upon hearing his story of the rich man who stole the poor man’s lamb (2 Sam. 12:5-6), when he cries out that the man who did this should die after making fourfold restitution (Ex. 22:1-5).
3. To make a New Testament connection, I compare Zacchaeus the ruler of the tax collectors to the rich young ruler of the previous chapter (18:18-30) who went away sad when Jesus asked him to give his goods to the poor. Here the despised tax collector after being in the presence of Jesus gives the majority of his wealth to the poor and mistreated unasked! Salvation indeed had come to his house…and it was received and responded to!
4. Finally, Zacchaeus’ response is one of full repentance in keeping with the message that John the Baptist had preached along the Jordan River probably not too far from Jericho. In fact, it’s possible that Zacchaeus heard it from John directly (See Luke 3:7-14)!

A = Do I allow Jesus, who by the Holy Spirit, indwells me to make changes in my life? Am I teachable and open to correction by the Holy Spirit? Do I need to be smacked in the ego with the 2x4 of affliction or can I quickly catch a clue as the Holy Spirit gently brings conviction? I want to be sensitive to such conviction this week. I want to answer the call to repent wholeheartedly like Zacchaeus did!

 

P = O Lord, do your work in me so that those who watch my life and grumble may instead be prompted to praise you! May I listen to the Spirit who exposes my blind spots so that you don’t need to take more drastic measures with me (like you did with Achan and even David). May I joyfully welcome you to stay at my house anytime! Amen.

Luke 18-C “Looking Up”

S = 18:35-43 “As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” ⁴² And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” ⁴³ And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.”

O = The blind man, Bartimaeus (we learn his name in Mark), hears a crowd and inquires as to the reason. Hearing that it is Jesus passing by he cries out for mercy. His cry for mercy is the standard beggar’s plea, though maybe louder. What is different is the One to whom he calls. He calls out to Jesus, the Son of David, a title loaded with meaning. This cry seems to suggest a Messianic realization on the part of blind man who ironically saw what few others did. His request was to recover his sight, in Greek the word is “anablepō”, which literally means “to look up” (ana=up; blepō=to see) and is used to refer to recovery of sight. Jesus grants his request and heals him. The man immediately followed Jesus and glorified God—he looked up!

A = How desperate am I for Jesus to work in my life? This would have been Bartimaeus’ last chance as Jesus was headed to Jerusalem—he was not going to miss out on this opportunity for grace. How badly do I want to have the way I see the world, myself, and God changed? Do I really want to “look up” to give God glory for everything? Am I willing to live into that gift by changing the way I live? Bartimaeus could beg no longer, but cast aside the cloak of the old blind beggar to follow in faith and gratitude? How do I testify to Jesus’ gracious work on my behalf?

P = O Lord, this week may I testify to your healing, liberating, sustaining work on my behalf! May I be forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what is ahead in the upward calling of God! You are faithful and true! You are loving and kind! You are powerful yet gentle in your dealings with me! Son of David, Son of man, thank you for your mercy that has made me a son of Abraham…and even more, a son of God! Amen.